Can washer vibrations damage a Coleman furnace?

Questions about repairs and parts for Coleman furnaces, air conditioners and heat pumps for manufactured homes. Click here for Coleman parts.

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WildIrish
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Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:00 pm

We have a Coleman furnace (Model DGAE080CDK) that was installed in 2007. It sits right next to the washing machine, with only a thin wall separating them. Although we've reinforced the floor so that the washer doesn't shake the house nearly as much as before, we didn't get that done until last year.

Recently, we had to get the blower and the inducer motors replaced, to the tune of $800. We didn't know that the inducer motor was bad from the day we bought the house--we just figured that was the normal sound it made, but a tech told us that there was a problem with a bearing which made it run so loud. The new one runs much more quietly.

We take good care of the furnace, replacing filters monthly (though I have no idea why the previous techs we hired didn't notice the loud inducer motor).

So I don't understand why a furnace that's only five and a half years old and well cared for needed two major, expensive repairs. I asked if the recent power outage might have caused the problem, but they said no--it was a mechanical, not electrical problem in both parts. The techs we've hired keep telling us that the washer wouldn't harm anything, but they don't live in a MH and therefore have no idea just how much the washer used to shake the whole house...let alone a machine sitting less than a foot away from it.

Are these guys full of baloney, or are Coleman furnaces really so poorly-built that they start having major problems this soon?
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

I would agree that the washer should have nothing to with the problems.

In today's Manufacturing there is only one goal - PROFIT!! Let's see, I can buy a quality bearing (Usually U.S. made) for $2. or I can buy a bearing for 50 cents (usually from China). This seems to be the mentality across the board with about everything.

I can remember as a mechanic when we actually FIXED things, now all we do is change parts. In most cases you can't even get the parts to rebuild thing your self any more, Just change the whole thing.

OK, I'll put the soap box away.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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WildIrish
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^ Amen to that! The repairman explained how you have to replace the entire part ($300+) instead of just the bearing. Gee, y'think it could have anything to do with gouging the consumer? ;)

But even so...just five years for the blower fan, and less than one year for the inducer motor seems a bit much, even for cheap Chinese parts. Is that typical, or did we just get a bigger lemon of a furnace than most?
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

Since I'm not up on Heating equipment I really can't say. If possible you could look into sending the motor out for repair, We still have a few Electric motor repair shops in our area that will change bearings. It may be tough to do during the heating season since you do need a heat source.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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